The Ministry of Public Works held its first meeting since independence with contractors from across the country. There are 6,500 registered contractors in Kenya. A record of more than 1600 attended the conference that was dubbed “Empowering the Contractor.”
The minister of Public Works Hon. Chris Obure graced the opening of the conference that was held at KICC. Obure said that the contractors can not be ignored as they contribute to 30 per cent of Kenyan gross domestic product (GDP).
The minister articulated that the meeting was an open talk forum between the government and the constructors to forge a common path into the future towards the retaliation of Vision 2030.
The members of parliament and civil servants from the ministry were put on the sport by contractors as part of the larger cartel that is lubricating corruption in the sector which ranks third in corruption index across the world, where that which deals with military weapons leads.
The contractors from across the 47 counties accused Mps and councilors for awarding contracts to companies and individuals they are associated with in constituency development fund (CDF) and local authority transfer fund (LATF) projects. Civil servants from the ministry too were singled out as a warding contracts to companies they are associated with. Further, the contractors said that kick backs are the order of the day where these politicians and civil servants are involved.
Delay in payments, higher bank loan interest rates, services like renewal registration and upgrading of companies not devolved, disintegrated working between various ministries, are some of the challenges the contractors highlighted holding them aback while the ministry pointed out lack professionalism in some companies, under-staffing of the ministry, forgery of documents by some contractors as challenges to be overcome.
The private developers too were called upon to involve contractors, professionals to overcome collapsing of building the nation has witnessed in the past resulting into deaths.
“This is the beginning of good things to come,” said Obure, as he expressed that the ministry is out to embrace a new beginning to bring down all kind of handles that have been standing between the contractors and the ministry.
The culture of stalled projects should be a thing of the past, said Prof. John Lonyangapuo, the permanent secretary Ministry of Public works, adding that the government has put concerted effort to complete all stalled projects across the country – some have stalled for more than two decades. The PS explained it was on the background of misuse of funds by some contractors that led the government scrubbed off advance payment as they were directed to other ends, especially political campaigns.
The Kenyan engineers accused the government for unregulated Chinese contractors penetration into the Kenyan civil and construction industry in the name of technology transfer while they don't involve Kenyan companies as sub-contractors. The engineers wondered a loud who is going to maintain some of the projects they are putting up, like the on going eight lane Thika road after they have left.
Lonyangapuo said that the concerns raised by contractors will give birth to a comprehensive report, to enable the ministry to deliberate and respond to come16 December this year, when they will be holding their second meeting at KICC. The PS said that he is out to handle any concern from any contractor via: psworks@publicworks.go.ke.
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